Separator



(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 1.. E. S. BENNETT.

SEPARATOR.

Patented Mar. 10,1891.

llVVE/VTOR WITNESSES.- iV. 61M

xii haw Tue uoanls versus :20, PHOTO LITHO., wlswmaww. n. c.

(NO Model) I T n N m H T 00000 Mooooon 0 0 I 0000 wwnwnm mmwm o 0 00 01.\II\|III %M00M%M %%M 000000 0000000 I o 00 I 00000 0 0 I 00 000 I 0 0x I 0 0 I 0 O 0O I @038 n xmw o 000 00 M O O y C on 0 0000 0 I I O0 0mwmm wwwmo 0 0 00 .HI 0 0 00000 H 00 0 wwwooo w 0 0 0000 w 000 0 OO 0000000 m I I nWOO MvO 0 0 0 mil 30M 00 0 0 00 00 00 l 0 0 00000 1 ml 0%?00 0 00 0 Q000 00 W 003 ll MMMWMN W O M OO O ew wm wm w wmww w w o O 0 00 0 0 0 000 00000 E o 0 0 N 838 m 0 0 0 0 0 00% 0 0 0 05000 0 max 0 00 v00 0 0 m 0 0 O 00 %%n%% a 0 w wo 0 0 O 000 00000 000000 0 0 n 0 0 20% O\J 0 000000 0 \AW 0 00000 0 L 0 000000 0 (0 000000 0 00 0 0 0 6% 9) Go000000 0 0 0 0 0 0 00am ooofiwww O 000 R\ 0 n c O 6 000000 000000 w 0 00 0 0%0000 $0.0M. 0 oowwmuoooowswowvwhom 0 0 0 0 33 O0 ww o c o o o w 0O0 O O 3 00000 0 0 0 00 0 0 O D 0%0000 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 00000 0 0 00000 O 00 000 0 OOOQOOD 8 0 W 00% s O 00 00 M I v 0 0 r 0 amm a W 0 00 YJ\ 0 0 0 0 oooa w c A O 0 0 0 Z 30 000? OW R0 o 000 0 0000 O0 \1 0 00owooc ooonwmwwwwo 0 26 333 30 o wwmwwnwwww 0 00000000 000 000000 0 0 000W &\ 00000 00000 000 0 0 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. E. S. BENNETT.

SEPAEATOR.

No. 448,189. Patented Mar. 10,1891

TNE mama wnzns 0a.. PHOTO-LUNG" mmam, o c

NiTnn dTaTns PaTnwT Orrion.

ERASTUS S. BENNETT, OF DENT EE, COLORADO.

S EPARATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,189, dated March10, 1891. Application filed April 11,1889. Renewed August 16, 1890.Serial No. 362,151. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERASTUS S. BENNETT, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at- Denver, in thecounty of Arapahoe and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSeparators, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improved form and construction of a rotaryseparator intended more specially, by the conjoint action of water andthe mechanism used, for the washing and separation of in etaliferousearths from stones, gravels, 860., though well adapted for theseparation and gradation of any other materials, either with or withoutthe use of water.

Its objects are to provide a separator of compact strong construction,capable of speedily and thoroughly treating a large bulk or mass ofmaterial in a comparatively small space, one in which, if desired, allearthy matters may be completely washed and removed from the stones,gravel, and rock therewith associated and any lumps, clods, rho, of anearthy nature be broken up and comminuted, so as to be in fit conditionfor the extraction ,there-from of any mineral mingled therewith, aseparator reliable and efficient in action, durable in use, and easilyoperated and controlled; to which ends the invention consists in thefeatures, constructions, and combinations more particularly hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the drawings is illustrated an embodiment of the invention, in whichFigure 1 is a view, partly in elevation. and partly in longitudinalsection, of my improved separator; Fig. 2, asection onlineacat, Fig. 1,Fig. 3, a plan view and a cross-section of a fabric which may beemployed in the construction thereof. Fig. l is a view of the dischargeend of the cylinder partly broken away to show the internalconstruction.

In the drawings, the reference-numeral 8 indicates the rotatingseparator. As preferablyin the operation of separation and gradation ofthe material operated on water is to be used therewith, the rotatingseparator is mounted in bearings supported by or from the body of anysuitable tank 1, so as to partly lie and revolve therein. It is composedof two concentric screens 9 and 10, secured to rotate together, theouter being of finer mesh than the inner. That the outer one at leastmay be self-cleaning and danger of clogging of its meshes be avoided,its periphery or screen portion is formed of the fabric shown inenlarged detail in Fig. 3, wherein l1 represents wires or rods formed incross-section into triangular shape, or shape approximately triangular,such wires or rods being secured at the proper distance apart by themetallic strips or ribbons 12, woven therearound, the rods or wiresbeing so held by the strips that their flat surfaces are upon theinterior of the screen, the outlets between them increasing in width tothe exterior. If the wires or rods be not true triangles incross-section, they should at least be formed with two opposite sidesinclined to or approaching each other, so that the resultant screen maybe self-clearing. Both screens may be formed of such fabric or the innerone maybe formed of perforated or slotted sheet metal, or either or bothmay be formed of ordinary reticulated or perforated material. The innerscreen 10 has an inlet at one end and an outlet at the other, while theouter or finer screen has no inlet except through the apertures ormeshes of the inner screen, but has an outlet at the same end as is theoutlet of the inner screen, all the discharges being through the bucketshereinafter noted.

Upon the inner faces of the screens are fixed edgewise spirally-woundplates forming Archimedean screws or conveyers for conveyin g thematerial across the faces of the screens from the inlet to the outletthereof. Preferably each screen is furnished with two such screws orconveyors-13 14 indicating those in the outer screen 9, and 17 18 thosein the inner screen 10'one in a screen alternating with the other insuch screen, the one being placed, so to speak, in the groove orinterthread-space of the other. At the discharge ends of the screens theweb or thread of the screws is carried inward to or beyond the center toform thereat discharge-buckets, one for each screw, the screw 13 endingin the dis charge-bucket 15, screw let in bucket 16, screw 17 in bucket19, and screw 18 in bucket 20. If these buckets be carried inwardsomewhat beyond the center, as is the case with buckets 15 16 in Fig. l,a greater discharge capacity may be secured. The webs or threads ofthese screws are perforated correspondingly to the screens-that is, theperforation of the screens 17 and 18 of the inner screen are larger thanthose of the screens 13 and 14 of the outer screenand through theirdischarge-bucket ends they discharge all material too coarse to passthrough their meshes into the chute 21, by which the rejected materialmay be conveyed to the dump.

In Fig. 2 the perforations and the relative sizes thereof are indicatedby the groups of perforations indicated thereon by circles, it beingunderstood, however, that the entire area of the screws anddischarge-buckets is correspondingly perforated.

The screws in the outer screen should not project inwardly the distanceof the entire space between the cylinders, but to such distance only asleaves a space of an inch or two (more or less) between the inner edgeof the screw and the exterior of the inner screen, as shown .at 77, soif the groove between the threads becomes filled up or clogged at anypoint the material may run over the top of the threads into anadjoiningspace.

At several points in the periphery of the inner screen are fixed seriesof fingers projecting therefrom and taking in the grooves orinterthread-spaces of the outer screen. These fingers may be formed of asingle shank 75, seated in and projecting into the inner screen, fromwhich shank or limb a finger 76 projects into an interscrew-threadspace.

At either end of the rotating separator-ring metallic collars 22 22 arerigidly secured, such collars resting on rollers 23, with spindlesjournaled in bearings secured upon or supported from the body of thetank and forming roller-bearings for the separator and on the exteriorof the collars, so that its interior is left free from any central shaftwhich might be in the way of the ready inlet and outlet of materialtherefrom.

At the end of the rotating separator, opposite the discharge-buckets, ahopper or chute 24 is supported in any suitable way to discharge thematerial to be operated on through the collar at that end into the innerscreen of the separator.

It is to be understood that when the machine is in operation and wateris used the tank is kept full of water nearly to its top, so that abouta third of the separator is constantly submerged. If now power beapplied to rotate it and materialbe fed to its interior, the operationthereof is as follows: the material falls to the then lower side oftheinner screen at its inlet end, and such material as is not too largewill fall into the furrows or interthread-space. The screens in revolvintend to carry the material upwardly, while gravity is constantly pullingit downwardly, so that it is kept in motion, tumbling over and over inthe water. At the same time the screens and conveying-screws.

screws are forcing it transversely across the screens from inlet tooutlet, while the water entering the screens and being forced throughthe perforations in the blades or threads of the screws is thrown intonumber-less little currents, all the e influences, acting simultaneouslyon the material, scouring from the gravel and rock all traces of dirtand sand and disintegratin g any earthy clods. If lumps of sticky,tenacious, or clayey earth be present, such as usually formssluice-robbers, not only are the fingers 76 cutting and dividing thesame, but every movement against the perforated screw-blades and overthe screens, and such motion is constant, planes or chips smallparticles therefrom, which are immediately mingled and coated with thesand or other nonadhesive dirt and their capacity for the robbing ofgold andamalgam destroyed. During this time the suitably-reducedmaterial separated from rock, 850., is passing through the aperturesoftheinnerscreen into the outerscreen, wherein it receives another courseof similar treatment, and from which the material ready for theamalgamation process drops into the tank, while the gravel, rock, andother unfit material are discharged from the screens by the buckets intothe chute 21. It is to be noted that by this construction of revolvingseparators and screens the unfit material has been subjected to arolling, tumbling, and scouring treatment equal to what it would havereceived in a length of sluice-box equal to the circumference of theseparator multiplied by the number of turns of either screw, so that inaddition to great efficiency and speed of action great compactness isattained.

It should be noted that in order to more clearly show the constructionthe right-hand lower corner of Fig. 1 is in elevation showing theexterior of the screen, while the upper right-hand portion is in sectionshowing the interior of the inner screen, such screen being broken awayat the left to show the interior of the outer screen.

While the rotating separator is herein shown as cylindrical incross-section, it is evident that it may be of other contour in suchsection-as, for instance, polygonal-- and have the same desirablearrangement of It may also be used for dry separation and grading ofany'materials, though I have found it specially well adapted for use incombination with an amalgainator, an example of such combination and usebeing shown in my prior application, Serial No. 292,266, filed November30, 1888.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. A rotatingseparator composed of two concentric cylindrical screens rigidly securedtogether, each screen being provided on its inner surface with twoperforated conveyingscrews, the thread of one screw being in theinterthread-space of the other screw, substantially as described.

2. A rotating separator composed of two concentric cylindrical screens,each screen being provided 011 its inner surface with two perforatedconveying-screws, the thread of one screw being in the interthread-spaceof the other screw and the threadof each screw being carried to or aboutthe center of one end of the cylinder, where such threads are formedinto four perforated discharge-buckets 15, 16, 19, and 20, substantiallyas described.

A rotating cylindrical separator composed of two concentric cylindricalscreens, each screen being provided on its inner surface with twoperforated screw conveyers, the conveyers of both screens being adaptedto conduct the material toward the discharge end of the separator, thethreads of the conveyors being carried to or about the center of thedischarge end of the separator and formed into four perforateddischarge-buckets 15, 16, 19, and 20, the two concentric screens beingof such relative diameters that there is a space left between the twoscreens of a width greater than the width of the conveyer of the outerscreen to allow material, if necessary, to pass between the free edgesof the conveyers and the outer surface of the inner screen,substantially as described.

4. A rotating cylindrical separator composed of two concentriccylindrical screens of different meshes, the outer being the finer, eachscreen being provided on its inner surface with two perforated screwoonveyers, the threads of the conveyers being carried to or about thecenter of the discharge end of the separator and formed into fourperforated discharge-buckets 15, 16, 19, and 20, substantially asdescribed.

5. A rotating cylindrical separator composed of two concentriccylindrical screens provided with two perforated screw conveyers, theinner screen being provided with the fingers 76, projecting from itsouter surface into the interthread-spaces of the conveyers of the outerscreen, substantially as described.

6. A rotating separatorof uniform diameter, composed of two concentricscreens of different meshes, the outer being the finer, each screenbeing provided on its inner surface with two perforated screw conveyers,the conveyers of each screen being adapted to conduct the material inthe same direction, the threads of the conveyers being carried to orabout the center of the discharge end of the separator and formed intofour perforated discharge-buckets 15, 16, 10, and 20, the two screensbeing of such relative diameters that the space between them is ofgreater width than the thread of the conveyers of the outer screen toallow material to pass between the free edge of the conveyers thread andthe outer surface of the inner screen, fingers '76, projecting from theperiphery of the inner screen into the interthread-spaces of the conveyers of the outer screen, an inlet at one end of the separator,through which the material is discharged to the inner screen,awater-supply tank, and suitable means of supporting the separatorwithin said tank, substantially as described.

7. A rotating cylindrical ore-separator suit ably supported and composedof an. inner and an outer screen of different meshes, the outer screenbeing the finer and constructed of wires or rods of triangular orapproximately triangular shape in crosssection and secured together insuch a manner that the openings between the Wires shall increase in sizefrom the interior to the exterior of the screen, the separator beingprovided at one end with discharge-spouts leading from each screen andat the opposite end with an inlet through which the material to betreated is fed to the inner screen, each screen being provided on itsinner surface with perforated screw conveyers adapted to conduct thematerial treated toward the discharge end of the separator,substantially as described.

8. A rotating cylindrical ore-separator of uniform diameter and providedwith a ring or metallic collar 22 at each end, in combination with atank adapted to supply the separator with water, said tank beingprovided with suitable roller-bearings for collars 22, the separatorbeing composed of two screens rigidly secured together and arrangedconcentrically to each other, the screens being of different meshes, theouter being the finer and constructed of wires or rods of triangularshape or of a shape approaching triangular in cross-section, these wiresbeing secured together in such a manner that the openings between themincrease in size from the interior to the exterior of the screen, eachscreen being provided with perforated screw conveyers, the separatorhaving a discharge-spout at one end for each screen and an inlet-pipe atthe opposite end through which the material is fed to the inner screen,substantially as described.

9. A rotating cylindrical ore-separator of uniform diameter and composedof two screens arranged concentrically to each other and rigidly securedtogether, said screens being of different meshes, the outer being theliner and constructed of wires or rods triangular or approximatelytriangular in cross section and secured together in such a manner thatthe openings between the wires increase in size from the interior to theexterior of the screen, each screen being provided on its interior withperforated screw conveyers, the separator having discharge-openin s atone end for each screen and an inlet at the opposite end through whichthe material to be treated is fed to the inner screen, in combinationwith a tank provided with suitable bearings for the separator and withinwhich the separator may be partially immersed in water, substantially asdescribed.

10. A rotating cylindrical ore-separator of uniform diameter andcomposed of two screens arran ed concentrically to each other andrigidly secured together, a space being left between the exterior of theinner and the interior of the outer screens, the two screens being ofdifferent meshes, the outer being the finer and constructed of wires orrods triangular in shape or approachingthe triangular shape incross-section, the wires being secured together in such a manner thatthe openings between them shall increase from the interior to theexterior of the screen, each screen being provided with two perforatedconveying-screws on its interior, the end of each screw being carried tothe center of the separator at one end and formed into adischarge-bucket thereat, the separator being provided at the oppositeend with an inlet through which the material to be treated is fed to theinner screen, in combination with a suitable tank adapted to support theseparator and supply it with water, and suitable means for rotating theseparator, substantially as described.

11. A rotating cylindrical ore-separator of uniform diameter andcomposed of two screens arranged concentrically to each other andrigidly secured together, the screens being of different meshes, theouter being the finer and constructed of wires or rods wider incross-section on their interior than on their exterior faces, eachscreen being provided with one or more perforated conveying-screws 0nthe interior, the end of each screw being carried to the center of theseparator at one end and formed into a discharge-bucket thereat, theseparator being provided with an inlet at the opposite end, throughwhich the material is discharged to the inner screen,

the periphery of the inner screen being provided with fingers 76, whichproject therefrom into the interthread-spaces of the screws upon theouter screen, in combination with a tank provided with suitableroller-bearings for the ends of the separator and within which theseparator may be partially immersed, and suitable mechanism forpropelling the separator, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERASTUS S. BENNETT.

Vitnesses:

S. D. HAYWARD,

M. BRONSON.

